We have a love-hate relationship with the world’s most popular on-screen program. PowerPoint is an easy way to bang out some eye-catching (though not necessarily compelling) visuals that might enliven an otherwise staid speech. But it’s also become the single biggest enabler of unimaginative pitches and presentations.
We all know the critique:
- Power Point contributed to the space shuttle Columbia catastrophe.
- PowerPoint is a crutch for poor communicators.
- PowerPointis “digital Valium for user and viewer alike”.
So, do we kick this insipid presentation program cold-turkey? What do we do in it’s place?
During the past two years of pitches and presentations, we’ve been able to steer clear of PowerPoint. Instead, we’ve tried to write relatively concise proposals and work through them unscripted, using only a white board and our short-term memory. The result has been a much more conversational exchange with clients and prospects. We have, on occasion, used PowerPoint to distill a couple proposals into easy-to-digest formats.
But perhaps we’re just jumping on the “PPT Sucks” bandwagon. We’d love to hear from anyone who is using it with consistently positive reception.
Post your best PPT defense below. Our favorite will get a complimentary template design consultation.